Limits of Terrestrial Life and the Probability of Growth on Mars: Call for Speakers and Topics

The National Academies’ Committee on Planetary Protection is hosting a virtual meeting that will inform NASA’s efforts to develop a prioritized list of factors that contribute to the potential release of terrestrial bioburden on the Mars surface, as well as the likelihood of microbial survival and replication.

Quantitative and qualitative guidance on individual and multiple growth-limiting/growth-promoting conditions are needed to advance the analysis of planetary protection approaches that enable the search for evidence of life on Mars.

Key factors identified during this meeting will assist in modeling the probability of survival and growth of terrestrial organisms in planning for future human and robotic missions to Mars.

The Committee on Planetary Protection invites the community to nominate speakers, including self-nominations, and suggest topics for the meeting. The Committee requests that nominees be able to speak to the current state of the field. The main topics under consideration include, but are not limited to:

• Environmental Factors in Current Planetary Protection Guidelines
• Quantitative and Qualitative Work on Additional Environmental Factors
• Microbes Reaching Mars in Association with Humans, Plants, and Life-Support Systems
• Innovative Topics for Planetary Protection Consideration

Please submit any suggestions for topics or speakers through the form by March 31, 2026 at 11 PM EDT.

Astrobiology